Context:
Recently, first human has received Neuralink implant from Elon Musk’s Company Neuralink.
Neuralink:
- Group working on linking the nervous system to computers
- Aim – helping treat brain disorders, overcoming brain injuries and other applications.
- More than 40 Brain Computer Interface (BCI) trials are underway
- Focused patients – quadriplegia due to cervical spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Device –
- About the size of a large coin
- Connects the brain to an external computer via a Bluetooth signal, enabling continuous communication back and forth.
- Designed to be implanted in the skull, with ultra-thin wires going directly into the brain.
- Goal – to give people the ability to control a computer cursor or keyboard using their thoughts alone.
- 1st Neuralink product – “Telepathy” – enable users to control their phones or computers “just by thinking.”
- Intial users – those who have lost use of their limbs.
PRIME Study:
- Abbreviated form of Precise Robotically Implanted Brain-Computer Interface
- Groundbreaking investigational medical device trial for fully-implantable, wireless brain-computer interface (BCI)
- Aim – to create a generalized brain interface to restore autonomy to those with unmet medical needs.
Brain Computer Interface (BCI):
- Aim – to grant people the ability to control a computer cursor or keyboard using their thoughts alone.
- Working –
- Signal Acquisition
- Signal Processing
- Translation
Quadriplegia:
- Symptom of paralysis that affects all a person’s limbs and body from the neck down.
- Causes – an injury to the spinal cord in your neck, but it can also happen with medical conditions. Quadriplegia is sometimes treatable
- Most cases those due to injuries results in permanent paralysis.
Source: The Hindu
Previous Year Question
In the context of vaccines manufactured to prevent COVID-19 pandemic, consider the following statements :
1. The Serum Institute of India produced COVID-19 vaccine named Covishield using mRNA platform.
2. Sputnik V vaccine is manufactured using vector based platform.
3. COVAXIN is an inactivated pathogen based vaccine.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2021 Prelims]
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (b)
Explanation:
Option 1 is not correct:
The Serum Institute of India produced COVID-19 vaccine named Covishield using viral vector platform not mRNA platform.
